Laura (lindsacl)'s 2011 Reading Record - Episode 2

Peacock from William Morris' The Forest, a 15-foot tapestry




My 2011 Reading Resolutions

Previous 2011 threads:
Episode 1 *

Books completed ("details" jumps to location in this thread where review & links can be found)
25. The Invisible Bridge - details
24. 13, rue Thérèse - details
23. A Lost Lady - details
22. Our Spoons Came from Woolworths - details
21. Palladian - details
20. Unbroken - details
19. Bruno's Dream - details
18. A Dance to the Music of Time - details
17. The Portrait of a Lady - details
16. A Month in the Country - details
15. Behind the Scenes at the Museum - details
14. Pride and Prejudice - details
13. The Nice and the Good - details
12. Salvation City - details
11. Kitchen - details
10. The Hills at Home - details

10. The Hills at Home ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: I received it as a Virago Secret Santa gift from Lucy/sibyx ... thank you Lucy!

Lily Hill is an elderly woman living alone in a big rambling New England house, the sort of house regarded as a "home away from home" by all members of the extended Hill family. And during the summer of 1989, several Hill family members decided to take respite at the Hill family home. Lily's thrice-widowed brother Harvey arrived first, halfheartedly offering to help with various home improvements which had proven too much for Lily to handle on her own. Later Lily's niece Ginger and grand-niece Betsy arrived, Ginger having recently left an unhappy marriage. On their heels were Lily's nephew Alden (recently let go from his job), his wife Becky, and their four children. And finally, Harvey's grandson Arthur and his partner Phoebe paid a surprise visit.

As it turned out, no one was just visiting. Everyone was there for the duration, working through personal issues large and small, nurtured by a house that is almost a character itself. While each family member is fiercely independent, their continuous close contact fosters a certain interdependence as well. Becky takes on most of the meal planning and cooking. Letters are written and left on a table, taken to the post office by whoever happens to be heading that way. Somehow the laundry gets done, the house is kept clean (sort of), and everyone manages to both get along and avoid each other in equal measure. Over the course of a year, the family assimilates into the community and their stories develop along several interconnected threads.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nancy Clark's writing. She describes family and small-town drama with a delightful wit:

For, just a few nights ago at supper, Ginger had been talking about her firewalking seminar, one of those exercises she put herself through when she was still trying to save that marriage of hers -- or had it, in the end, given her the impetus to leave Louis? Lily, listening carefully for once because it all sounded so unlikely, hadn't caught her point as Ginger seemed to claim that her personal firewalk across a glowing pit dug behind a Ramada Inn on the outskirts of Wichita had led her both toward and yet away from poor Louis. He had become poor Louis in Lily's mind, although not for having lost Ginger -- rather, frankly, for having won her in the first place. (p. 73)

Every single paragraph is packed with detail just like that passage. Clark's style is wordy, and requires careful reading; small details buried in lengthy descriptions often become significant later on. As the year progresses family members are involved in romance, crime, small-town corruption, and no small measure of personal growth. As I read this book, several passages brought tears to my eyes -- tears more sentimental than sad. And there were many times I sat back and smiled as I watched a series of events come together in a satisfying way. The ending included a bit of both. This is a rich, rewarding, thoroughly enjoyable read.

11. Kitchen ()

Why I read this now: I was invited to participate in an online conversation about this book for Belletrista.

I finished this book about a week ago, and I'm still flummoxed. It's short, only 152 pages, and is actually comprised of two stories: 'Kitchen' and 'Moonlight Shadow.' I didn't particularly care for it, but I am at a loss to explain why. So I can't really call this a review ... just a few thoughts:

* The blurb on the back cover calls Kitchen Yoshimoto's "best-loved book ... an enchantingly original and deeply affecting book about mothers, love, tragedy, and the power of the kitchen and home in the lives of a pair of free-spirited young women in contemporary Japan."
* Kitchen is translated from the Japanese. The writing comes across as unsophisticated, almost juvenile. I suppose it could be the result of poor translation.
* Both stories deal with grief and loss. While I could understand the grief characters felt after losing loved ones, the language felt flat and neutral. And in 'Kitchen,' I knew the kitchen itself, and food, were supposed to be important but the prose didn't convey the sensuality and power of food and cooking.

I'm taking part in an online conversation about this book and held off for a while hoping to get some new insights that would help me better appreciate this book. It hasn't happened, and I'm ready to move on.

I so enjoy visiting your thread! I appreciate your well-written reviews and all the great books you read.

* blush* thank you, Linda!

Hi Laura, I'll echo what Linda said and add a belated Happy Birthday. I was up with the grandkids yesterday and in recovery today. Hope you had a good one!

Laura, I loved your review of The Hills at Home. I went over to the book's page on LT, thumbed your review and saw that PBS had 2 copies and I ordered one. I'm looking forward to reading it. Hope you had a great birthday weekend.

#2: I already have that one in the BlackHole and it looks like the library finally has it, so thanks for the review and reminder, Laura!

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Donna.
Pat, I'm glad you snagged a copy !
Stasia, that's also good news!

I'm very excited that you loved it Laura -- I am such a huge Clark fan. The second one is set in the Czech Republic and Libya and some people didn't like it, expecting more of the same, but I loved it. The third one is back at the Big House.

With a little luck I can get this book off my "Under-appreciated novels" list, eh.

Isn't she a perfect Virago candidate? I bet she has a huge collection of them.

Well that one is already on my TBR list and I know that my local library has it AND your review makes me sure I will love it so all that's left is for me to pick it up and start reading it. Thumb!

Haven't heard of the Hills book - thank you for recommending it!

>3 lauralkeet:: posted some thoughts -- not really a review -- of book #11.

#3: I think I will give that one a pass. Thanks for your thoughts, Laura.

12. Salvation City ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: I was intrigued by rebeccanyc's review last year, and snagged this book through the Paperbackswap Marketplace. It was also reviewed in Belletrista.

After thirteen-year-old Cole Vining lost both parents in a flu pandemic, he was taken in by Wyatt and Tracy, a young evangelical couple living in Salvation City. Cole's family had only recently moved from Chicago to southern Indiana when the pandemic hit. Cole had been sick, but survived, although he suffered some memory loss. Since he had no other family, he was placed in an orphanage with scores of children who suffered a similar fate. Pastor Wyatt (PW) and Tracy, unable to have children of their own, felt called by God to provide for an orphan.

Salvation City is an evangelical community that sprung up around the church. Their fundamentalist beliefs and values are foreign to Cole, whose family did not practice religion. Prayer is a regular part of life, and he is home-schooled by Tracy whose own education did not adequately prepare her for this role. But he is well cared for, even loved. As Cole recovers, his memory also returns and the reader learns more about his parents, their awful deaths, and the social and economic havoc resulting from the pandemic. Cole also begins to see PW and Tracy in a new light, as human beings with all the usual flaws. He is then faced with situations that cause him to question the prevailing values in Salvation City, his own beliefs, and what he wants from life.

While Cole's personal drama was interesting, I found descriptions of the pandemic most realistic and disturbing. In the abstract, it's easy to assume that if a real pandemic struck everything would work out. But in this book, medical supplies ran out, food was scarce, and healthcare professionals simply couldn't keep up. Some people died because of the flu's severity, but many more died simply because they were unable to receive care. People who failed to take preventive measures early were most likely to suffer. I was struck by just how probable it all was. And one day while I was reading this book, my husband coughed and I nearly panicked, thinking he might be afflicted. The book felt that real.

While something about Cole's story fell a bit flat at the end, this was a chilling story that will stay with me for a while.

Great review, Laura. I've seen this book around but never knew what it was about. I'll have to look for it at the library.

Hi, Laura! Lucy converted me to the Hills too, and I'll certainly read at least book 2 this year. Glad you enjoyed it too, and another thumb for the review!

Hi Laura! I'm adding The Hills at Home to the wishlist - thanks for the review!

Hi Amber! Thanks for stopping by.

Just a followup on a message from my previous thread (this one). I told you about a mixup at the library with a woman who shares my name, and my theory that she's the same woman that used to get mixed up with me at work over 20 years ago.

Last week it happened again: I went to the library to pick up a book, and the person behind the counter brought out three books. Nope, not all mine. I laughed, thinking this is probably going to happen from time to time. Next stop, the vet's office to pick up something for my cat. I gave the receptionist my name and the woman standing next to me says, "I know another person with that name, and I went to school with her husband."

Two same-name coincidences in 30 minutes convinced me to write the other Laura a letter. I looked her up in the phone book and sent her a card the next day, giving her my email address so she could contact me if she chose. I tried not to make this all sound too creepy. She wrote back the day she received my letter. And yes, she is the same Laura from the work mixups as well!

We've exchanged notes about family, kids, and what we're doing now. Maybe someday we'll get together!

Laura, that's a fantastic story. I remember you talking about it before. Congratulations on reaching out and contacting her. It does seem like the universe is trying to get the two of you together!

You see I told you. You two were meant to meet.

When I first moved to the town we live in now (40 years ago!)I went to the tiny local bank and the teller asked for some ID because I was not the Bonnie Renzi that they knew. Sure enough another person with the same name in this small town. Over the years I met several people who knew her. Finally, I was in the little grocery store using a credit card when the cashier looked up at me and said, "I'm Bonnie Renzi too." We laughed and she said she'd heard there was another one in town with her name. She's since moved to Florida but when you brought up this topic that came to mind.

Great story, Bonnie!

That's pretty amazing, both of you! I see many duplicates of my name on facebook, but I've never taken the trouble to look at them. Now that you mention it though, we have to use DH's initials in the phone book because the other one with his name uses the first name. It's not a particularly common name either, but this is a county settled by Scots so there are lots of Mc's.

>19 lauralkeet:: Laura, that is a great follow-up to your same name story. I'm looking forward to the final resolution when you meet. It sounds like it could be the beginning of a real friendship that was meant to be.

I know professionally one person who has the exact same name as my sweetie (although he goes by his nickname except for the bank and his passport), and he knows another one. It's weird when I get e-mail from him!

13. The Nice and the Good ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: I'm working my way through all of Murdoch's novels that were shortlisted for the Booker Prize. This was her first.

The Nice and the Good opens with a suicide in a London government office. The department head, Octavian Gray, asks lawyer John Ducane to investigate the situation and any potential security breaches. Ducane then becomes the axis of rotation for the rest of the extensive dramatis personae in this book. Ducane interviews other members of the department by day, and by night attempts repeatedly -- and unsuccessfully -- to break up with his mistress. No one is quite what they seem.

On the weekends, he is often found at Gray's seaside home in Dorset, where he mingles primarily with women: Octavian's wife Kate and their teenage daughter Barbie, Kate's long-time friend Mary and her son Pierce, and recent divorcee Paula and her nine-year-old twins. Rounding out the group are Octavian's brother Theodore and a tenant, Willy Kost. Here as well, everyone has skeletons in their closet: why did Theodore leave India? What happened to Willy during the war? How did Mary's husband die? What are the circumstances behind Paula's divorce? How can Kate and Ducane carry on their bizarre, not-platonic-but-not-romantic relationship right under Octavian's nose, and with his full knowledge?

Murdoch uses Ducane to move seamlessly between London and Dorset, while exploring goodness and morality:

What Ducane was experiencing, in this form peculiar to him of imagining himself as a judge, was, though this was not entirely clear in his mind, one of the great paradoxes of morality, namely, that in order to become good it may be necessary to imagine oneself good, and yet such imagining may also be the very thing which renders improvement impossible, either because of surreptitious complacency or because of some deeper blasphemous infection which is set up when goodness it thought about in the wrong way. To become good it may be necessary to think about virtue, although unreflective simple people may achieve a thoughtless excellence. (p. 77)

Well, that's all a bit abstract. If I had been in a more deeply philosophical mood as I read this, I might have formed some profound thoughts about morality. Instead, I just enjoyed the twisting plot and the gradual revelation of secrets. This was philosophical, too, but in a different way: Murdoch's style inevitably involves a lot of personal reflection and talking things out. The denouement was neat and satisfying, with a bit of high drama, characters getting exactly what they deserved, and an air of hope.

I love your reviews, Laura! A thumb from me on The Nice and the Good. Now I'm off to put it on my wishlist.

ETA: I just ordered a copy from PBS!

I just picked up her husband's memoir Iris, prepatory (izzat a word? my computer says, nyunh unh, but I don't care, I likes it) to getting more serious about her books......

Fabulous quote -- and great example of why I didn't like her when I was younger (when I thought everything was simple) and I do like her now (when I know better) plus I know how hard it is to write about complicated things lucidly.

Great same name story!

>28 sibylline:: you know, I had never heard of Iris nor read any of her books until I saw the film Iris, starring James Broadbent and Judi Dench. I was living in the UK at the time and there was so much publicity about the film, and Murdoch. I rented it, loved it, and then just had to start reading Murdoch.

I know what you mean about the quote!

Laura, I haven't read any Iris Murdoch but I have The Sea, The Sea on my shelf so maybe one day...

I've read a couple of Murdoch many years ago now - I think I'll probably appreciate her more now so I must get back to her. I can't even quite remember what I read, but The Nice and the Good sounds slightly familiar so maybe that was one of them...

>31 gennyt:: she wrote something like a million books, Genny, so there's plenty to choose from! I found it rather daunting, just figuring out where to start. I bought a couple books just based on the cover blurb. Then I read her Booker Prize winner (The Sea, The Sea) because I was on a quest to read all Booker winners. This year I decided to read all her Booker shortlisted works (there are 5).

I love visiting here and reading your wonderful reviews!

Laura, do you have a favorite Murdoch novel so far? (I've never read any so I'm wondering if The Sea, The Sea is a good place to start.)

>34 AnneDC:: Anne, I am by no means an expert on Murdoch and have only read 6 of her books but I liked The Bell and A Severed Head a wee bit more than The Sea, the Sea (which was still a good book).

Hi Laura, I've got Elegy for Iris on the tower of TBRs, but I think I'd rather read an Iris Murdoch book or two (or three?) before I read one about her. I'll be on the looking for your recommendations at the upcoming library booksale. Thanks.

A bit of fun to get us all through the last few weeks of winter..... here .

Loved the sound of The Hills at Home so much that I raced right over to amazon and snapped one up for myself.

>38 Fourpawz2:: yay! I saw a copy at a used book sale last week and thought, some lucky person's going to snag that.

>28 sibylline:: nearly...it's preparatory ;)

That was neat about the same name person, Laura.

Serendipty---you and the other Laura. I love stories like that. Except when I encountered another person with my name, it was because a woman called my house and told my husband "I" was running around with other men! Her opening line was "Do you want to know where your wife is right now?" which was hysterically funny, because I was sitting right there on the couch, many months pregnant. My husband said, "Well, I can see her pretty well at the moment; she's right here." But the caller wouldn't quit; she didn't believe him. Kept asking questions like: Doesn't she work at A & R Warehouse? Is she about 5 foot 6 with long blond hair? Doesn't she drive a VW Rabbit? Finally he put me on the phone and I convinced her I wasn't the person she had the grudge against, since that woman was apparently at that moment in some bar with a man. Not the caller's husband, either!

>41 laytonwoman3rd:: OMG, I can't top that one !

Monsieur really has a time with unwanted calls. He leads them on something fierce. I have heard him ask about their home lives (especially if it's obvious they are calling from overseas). I don't have the patience for this teletorture but chuckle to myself when he gets one of these obnoxious calls.

My husband does that too! "How's the weather where you are?" He also likes to describe in great detail the meal we were just about to sit down to....whether it's dinner time or not. Their scripts don't usually tell them how to respond to that.

Himself does a variation on a Peter Sellers routine: you wood lak a rhum for your minkey? etc. They usually say they'll call back at a more convenient time (possibly thinking when Himself hasn't been into the gin or might hopefully be out).

Shame on me! After posting about teletorture I got a call from a salesperson asking for the librarian who was at a meeting. I told her that, like many libraries we had no money. We ended up talking for about half an hour about all sorts of stuff.

What an incredible story Laura, I love it.

14. Pride and Prejudice ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: I first read this about 20 years ago, and having read all of Austen's other novels more recently, I thought I should come back to this one.

This is my second time reading Pride and Prejudice, so it was a bit like going to visit an old friend. I knew I'd enjoy it, and I also hoped I'd discover something new. I was not disappointed!

The story opens with the famous line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Charles Bingley is the aforementioned single man, and when he arrives in the neighborhood Mrs. Bennet is determined to marry off one of her five daughters. Jane, the eldest, catches Bingley's eye. At the same time Jane's younger and feistier sister Elizabeth verbally spars with Bingley's more reserved friend Mr. Darcy. Misinterpretation and poor communication keep Lizzie and Darcy apart for far too long. During that time Lizzie works to bring Jane and Bingley together, and rejects an offer of marriage from Mr. Collins, a distant relative who is set to inherit her father's estate. And there's so much more: balls, elopements, kind relatives, nasty relatives ... and of course true love conquers all.

I most enjoyed rediscovering Jane Austen's marvelous wit. Characters like Mr. Collins, and Lizzie's mother Mrs. Bennet, were so ridiculous I just had to laugh. And even though Pride and Prejudice was written two hundred years ago, the book and its characters seem just as realistic and relevant today.

This really isn't much of a review, just a few impressions of a book I know I will re-read many more times.

Laura, have you read Sense and Sensibility? That's the only Austen I've tried and I didn't get very far so it's set me back with trying some of her other books.

I went over to your blog and was poking around and found your husband's website. He makes stunningly beautiful furniture.

>48 lauralkeet:: Your thoughts make me want to read P&P again. It is definitely my favorite Austen, and I've read them all now. One of these days...

>49 phebj:: yes Pat, I've read all of Austen's novels. I read P&P in my 20s, and then read the remaining 5 in the past five years or so. I'm now thinking I'll re-read one Austen a year and just keep going through the cycle. P&P and Persuasion are my favorites. S&S was decent but I didn't enjoy it as much as those two. I would, however, recommend the film starring Emma Thompson. It brought the story to life for me in a way the book didn't.

And thank you very much for the comments on the hubster's craft! I will pass them along ...

>49 phebj:: go for it, Donna. I'm glad my "thoughts" inspired something. I was having a very hard time putting something coherent together, and realized I didn't have anything to say that hadn't already been said. Plus I was tired and had a headache ... I probably should have put off writing the "review" but I was feeling all OCD and had to finish it.

Glad you enjoyed P&P again...I'm reading it now too, for the second time, and I expect my impressions will be similar to yours. :)

>51 lauralkeet: but I was feeling all OCD and had to finish it.

hahaha at last someone here admits it. I think most of us here are slightly OCD about reviews. I know the last few I've written have just been half-hearted attempts to say....something. I'm thinking of skipping them for awhile (except for the ER books where I have to write a review). Your reviews are always so thoughtful Laura, this one included.

I'm planning on reading Persuasion in April. That will be my second Austen. I read P&P last year and loved it; Emma later this year.

@ 41 & 44

Okay, mommio. I've just learned two things from this thread about the fambly that I never knew before. You're falling down on the story-telling front, here. C'mon.

Sorry! I thought surely you had heard the "other woman" story. But it did happen a looooooooong time ago. ;>)

>54 lycomayflower:, 55: oh, I'm lovin' this !

Just wanted to mention I'm holding a giveaway on my blog. The prize is a free e-book of your choice: Josephine Hart’s Damage, Susan Minot’s Monkeys, Lisa Alther’s Kinflicks, Ruth Gruber’s Haven, or Iris Murdoch’s Bruno’s Dream. The publisher contacted me because of my recent Murdoch review (see message #26). The giveaway is tied to Women's History Month; the blog post includes a short video about inspirational women. To enter, you need only leave a comment on the blog post about great women who have inspired your literary pursuits. The contest is open to US mailing addresses; entries will be accepted until March 20 at 5pm US EDT.

15. Behind the Scenes at the Museum ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: It's been on my stacks for more than a year, and I'm trying to clear some of these dusty books off the shelves this year.

Ruby Lennox begins narrating this novel in utero. It's 1951 and she is the third child born to a dysfunctional family headed by Bunty and George. Ruby's mother Bunty is third in a line of women unhappily married and dissatisfied with their station in life. Ruby's narrative is wry and funny, whether she is talking about her siblings, the war, or even deaths in the family. Each chapter describes events in Ruby's life, and is followed by a "footnote" (actually chapters in their own right), documenting some piece of family history. Ruby takes us back 100 years to her great-grandmother Alice, who has recently had a series of family photographs taken by an itinerant photographer. Alice dies suddenly, leaving her husband and several young children (including Ruby's grandmother, Nell). Little by little we learn Ruby's family history and get to know a mixed bag of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

This book is a brilliant interweaving of past and present. I loved the "herstory," with events unfolding through a matriarchal line. I enjoyed Ruby's cocksure narration, even when she turned out to be incredibly unreliable, because the reason for it made perfect sense (I can't say more without spoilers). And Atkinson is very funny. My favorite scene was her description of a wedding that occurred during the legendary 1966 FIFA World Cup Final. Here the behavior of a drunken wedding guest is juxtaposed with television commentary of the match:

Everything seems to go into slow motion as Ted pitches and reels, his arms flailing like windmills, in a desperate attempt to regain his balance and avoid the irresistible, inevitable accident which we can see hanging before our eyes. The tiny bridal couple on top of the cake sway and totter as if they were sitting on top of a volcano. Some people are on the pitch -- they think it's all over-- Ted moans as his feet go under him and in one dreadful slapstick movement he falls, face first, into the wedding cake. It is now! (p. 260)

Yet despite the humor, it's clear all is not right in the Lennox family. The pieces just don't all fit together; that is, until a significant event is revealed that sheds new light on everything that came before. The drama and emotion escalate as Ruby sorts through her family's history and tries to heal wounds to lead a normal adult life. This was Kate Atkinson's debut novel, and is highly recommended.

I'm probably in the minority, but I like Atkinson's early books, including Behind the Scenes at the Museum, so much more than her ongoing mystery series.

I know what you mean >59 arubabookwoman:, but I do have this crush on Jackson Brodie that won't go away. Atkinson is perfectly capable of handling tough topics humorously and dead on -- the mystery format seems to sidestep that just a little bit..... or it's not an entirely comfortable fit, or something.

Hi Laura -- I've been quiet on the threads lately, but I am here, reading, just brain full of cotton wool!

* waves to Lucy *
I'm glad you're lurking!

ETA: I just realized that my comment might imply a preference for lurking vs. talking. Not at all !! Both are great!

Geez, when it rains it pours.

I'm currently reading The Portrait of a Lady as part of the group read. I'm really enjoying it, but it's a 55-chapter tome so it will take some time.

And wouldn't you know it, I just received notice from the library that the 700&something page Dance to the Music of Time has FINALLY been delivered to my local library for my reading pleasure. You may recall discussion (on Feb 2, here) about my surprise at finding two people ahead of me in line for this 49-year-old book. I've been keenly watching the library queue, and the most recent reader had to return the book by March 22. I thought I was in good shape. Assuming it would be returned on its due date, and then take a couple days to be delivered to my local branch, and then I'd have 5 days to pick it up ... it would be nearly April before I started. No problem.

Not so. Now I'll pick it up on Saturday. And I'll have to read it alongside Henry James, and finish it in three weeks because guess what, there are now 2 people after me in line. Aaack!

No pressure there then ;-) If you manage to get those books finished, I will know for sure that you are made of sterner stuff than me. I am very bad at reading to a deadline!

I wanted to join in with the Henry James group read. I really enjoyed The Turn of the Screw and Washington Square and have been meaning to read one of his full length novels for ages. Unfortunately my copy of The Portrait of a Lady is an old Penguin that I bought second hand over twenty years ago and the pages are tanned to a distracting extent which is putting me off reading it. If I can find a nice copy in the near future I may jump in!

I was interested to read your Behind the Scenes at the Museum review as I know I read it when it first came out but have no recollection of it (even after reading your review) except that I cried at the end!

Liked your review of Behind the Scenes - I loved that book, and it is so impressive as a first novel. I do like all the Jackson Brodie ones too, but there is something very special about Behind the Scenes.

>63 Soupdragon:: Dee, although I'm a little panicked about reading the two books under a deadline, I did the math and I think it's doable. I'm finding Henry James surprisingly easy going, and after a nice relaxing reading session yesterday evening I'm feeling optimistic. Of course if real life intervenes ... all bets are off! I hope you're able to jump into The Portrait of a Lady !

>64 gennyt:: I agree with you, Genny. It's a very impressive debut novel. There's so much complexity in the plot -- all the intricate family relationships, and who did what to whom in each generation -- and yet it all comes together so brilliantly with all loose ends addressed.

Hi Laura, you're a very brave reader, attempting two tomes in such a short time span. I'm very much impressed. Your review of Behind the Scenes at the Museum makes me want to grab it off the shelf now and start reading it but, alas, there are others ahead of it in the queu. Soon though, soon.

The Powell is extremely 'readable' -- not unlike the prose in some of our favorite Viragos -- good clean crisp English -- and the story is so instantly gripping, you will be fine! It's interesting to think of the juxtaposition of James and Powell. I find that interesting synergies come up when I read books together....

>66 brenzi:: thanks Bonnie.
>67 sibylline:: that's thought provoking Lucy, I will be alert for those interesting synergies!

16. A Month in the Country ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: It was on my shelves, and it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1980.

A Month in the Country is a quiet, contemplative novella of just over 100 pages. Its impact sneaks up on you; in fact, I think I've divined greater meaning in my post-reading reflections than I did in the act of reading itself. Tom Birkin survived life at the front and returned home with a facial tic and serious emotional scars. When the book opens in 1920, he has just arrived in the north English village of Oxgoodby, where he is to restore a 14th-century wall painting in the church. He has no money, so he establishes a small camp in the belfry. He soon meets Charles Moon, a fellow veteran camping in the adjacent meadow. Moon has been hired to find a grave; both men's jobs are required by the estate of a recently departed village resident.

As the two men settle into their work they find a certain rhythm, sharing meals, coffee and the occasional pint. Birkin is also visited by several villagers. Some are unhappy with his presence -- like the vicar himself, who resents the intrusion in his sanctuary. Others think Birkin something of a curiosity (he's from the south, after all), and still others value his friendship. Alice Keach, the vicar's young and attractive wife, is a regular visitor, and their attraction to each other is palpable, and quite touching.

Birkin's art restoration serves as a metaphor for his psychological healing. As the painting's brilliant hues emerge from beneath the whitewash that kept it hidden for centuries, the weight falls from Birkin's shoulders. He begins to take part more actively in village life, and takes great pleasure in the seemingly endless summer weather. As the restoration nears completion, he can envision a "life after Oxgodby" that he would never have thought possible.

I didn't care for the book Behind The Scenes of the Museum. I know I'm in the minority.

Lovely review of A Month in the Country- I wasn't familiar with the book before but really like the sound of it.

Thanks Dee. I think you'd like it!

A Month in the Country sounds very appealing. I love post-WWI stories, particularly those set in England, and you make this one sound as if it possesses a lot of charm.

Great review of A Month in the Country, Laura. I'll add it to my wish list.

I loved A Month in the Country. Your excellent review reminds me why I did. Thanks, Laura.

Month does sound like a good read.

Linda - she seems to be one of those kinds of writers.... not everyone's cup of tea.

Tad, Darryl, and Lucy: yes, I would recommend it for each of you. Very good.

I'm another big fan of A Month in the Country. The movie is surprisingly good too.

And just like that A Month in the Country leaped onto my teetering tower. Hmmmm...

Bonnie, it's short, if that makes you feel any better!

17. The Portrait of a Lady ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: I've been wanting to read James for about a year, and there were several other members interested in a group read.

The Portrait of a Lady is a story of Americans abroad, and a story of love and loss. Isabel Archer arrives in England with her aunt, Lydia Touchett, who is intent on broadening her horizons. Lydia is the mother of Isabel's cousin Ralph, who lives with his father on their English estate, Gardencourt. Within a few weeks of her arrival at Gardencourt, Isabel turns down two marriage proposals, insisting on maintaining her independence. She inherits a considerable sum of money, and it appears she will be able to achieve her goal. Unfortunately, her "friends" have other ideas, and when Isabel travels to the continent, she soon finds herself falling for Gilbert Osmond, an American living in Italy. Sadly, their marriage is not a happy one and Isabel is stuck making the best of a bad situation.

The story evolves quite slowly, but there's much more to this rich novel than can be described in a simple plot summary. Henry James' writing is complex, but not as difficult to read as I'd feared. James was himself an American living abroad, and he clearly loved his adopted country. Speaking through Ralph Touchett's father, James offers a delightful point of view of an American living in England:

I've been watching these people for upwards of thirty-five years, and I don't hesitate to say that I've acquired considerable information. It's a very fine country on the whole--finer perhaps than we give it credit for on the other side. There are several improvements I should like to see introduced; but the necessity of them doesn't seem to be generally felt as yet.

And the characterizations are superb. Ralph cares deeply for Isabel, but never acts on his feelings. Lydia is self-centered, but in an amusing way. Madame Merle, a good friend of Lydia, is quite eccentric and takes Isabel under her wing; however, there is a mysterious side to her as well. Isabel's friend Henrietta is assertive and brash, perhaps representing the "typical American" in Europe. Gilbert Osmond is completely unlikeable, and his sister Amy, the Countess Gemini, is vapid and self-centered, but pulls off a major feat near the end that shows there's much more to her than meets the eye.

Throughout this novel Isabel is caught between a desire for independence, and societal pressures and expectations. James' understated prose delivers surprising emotional intensity, through a collection of memorable characters. Highly recommended.

Excellent review, Laura. I'll be finishing up in a few days. I had my hopes centered on either Henrietta or The Countess to come to Isabel's aid. Things look pretty hopeless for her at the end of the dreaded Chapter 42!

Great review, Laura. I'm so sorry I couldn't participate in the group read but I have the main thread starred for future reference. I'm really glad that so many people found this to be a good read.

I'm so glad that you have finished *Portrait* in such style, Laura. It's a wonderful book! Wonderful!! Wonderful!!!
And what's also great is that now you can focus on *A Dance*; if you've begun it, I'm sure that you're a convert. When I have an extra $6.29 floating around, I add another volume to my Kindle. When I add it up, that's a ridiculous price to pay for the whole series, but look at the shelf space I'm saving! Anyway, I can't wait to see what you make of it. I almost want to suggest a group read...... (I lent my 4-volume copies to a friend once long ago. When I called her, she'd say, "I'm Widmerpooling.")

>82 Donna828:: Donna, I can't wait to discuss those last dozen chapters with you!

>83 phebj:: Pat, I hope you enjoy it when you get around to it. I enjoyed reading it as a group read because the discussion presented angles I might not have thought about on my own. Hopefully you can get the same benefit from the threads later.

>84 LizzieD:: I've started it, Peggy! I blitzed through 100 pages on Sunday, and I don't know how I did it because I was actually really exhausted from some weekend activities. I'm really enjoying it too, so thanks for the recommendation!

Well, Laura, you've given me another nudge to try James again. But I think I'll go with Washington Square, rather than the chunkster that is Portrait. I want to like him, I really do. But so far I haven't succumbed to his "charm".

Laura, I've been enjoying Portrait of a Lady, but I'm about halfway in the book now and it's starting to get depressing. I'm finding it difficult to keep reading...does it get better in the end? Is there a glimmer of hope by then?

It's really well done - it's just depressing to watch Isabel mess up her life.

I'm really looking forward to reading this before too long though I've left it a bit late for the group read. Pat - maybe we should start our own very small group read when we're ready!!

>87 BookAngel_a:: I'm afraid it's a rather depressing Angela, although there's a spark towards the end where I was cheering for Isabel. =I found it thought-provoking and I really enjoyed James' writing, which is what kept me going.

89- Okay, I will try to prepare myself. :/

Hi Laura, excellent review as usual. I'm going to plan on reading this chunkster when I have some extra time on my hand, say maybe July or August;-)

>91 brenzi:: good idea Bonnie, but I warn you it's not a beach read!! :)

I'm currently reading A Dance to the Music of Time, highly recommended by Peggy/LizzieD. I'm quite enchanted with it, and since it will be a while yet before I finish & review the book, I posted these thoughts on my blog today.

I just read your blog post, Laura. The book sounds great (and I'm not even daunted by the length which usually stops me cold) and I LOVED the pictures of the covers of the four volumes showing how they make up a section of the painting. Now I have to figure out whether to buy the first volume or take it out of the library. Can't wait to hear more.

I'm so happy you are loving the Powell -- although I admit I wasn't too worried! Dance is in my Top Ten Men fiction list......

Right, I am definitely adding this to my WL. It sounds excellent. I first heard of it when I was about 10, when it was the "specialist topic" for the winning contestant on a New Zealand quiz show called Mastermind. (Sigh, Mastermind got scrapped years ago. It was very unglamorous - one quiz master and a contestant sitting in a boring chair answering questions as fast as possible - but it was so good.) Ever since I've thought it must be intimidating, but maybe it was just long.

And i also have A Month in the Country here somewhere and will move it up the mental bookpile.

>94 phebj:: Pat, funny about the book covers coming together. I only have the first volume, checked out of my library, and I knew the cover was a snippet of the painting (the painting is reproduced in black and white on the first couple of pages). So I assumed the other books also took snippets from the painting. But it wasn't until I put all the cover images together in the blog post that I realized what the cover designer had done. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

>95 sibylline:: "Top Ten Men fiction list": I like that, Lucy!

>96 cushlareads:: Cushla, Mastermind sounds like Who Wants to be a Millionaire, without all the glitz and sound effects!

Sounds like another beach read for me Laura ;-)

#97 That's even more amazing, Laura. Too bad you can't read all four volumes in April. You could enter and win the main TIOLI challenge for Striking Cover Art.

>99 phebj:: OMG, yes. But no, I don't think I could read all 4 in succession!

Cripes! Each volume is rilly three novels........ the whole cycle is 12 novels -- they were published that way and I read them that way back when I read them all for the first time. The huge paperbacks were a more recent presentation..... I mean, who would buy twelve books???? I would have, as I prefer smaller books, but.....

And I have deprived myself of those lovely covers because I'm putting it on my Kindle. I just can't let myself think that I will have spent $80 when I get them all. But then I'll have them! And they won't fall apart like my first copies. Laura, I'm thrilled that you like the first one. It gets better and better as characters disappear and reappear in a real dance. It's not quite time to reread, but your blog is pushing me that way.

ETA: the only series that touches it, I think, is Paul Scott's Raj Quartet. I fantasize about a character from each series meeting in a novel by an equally good author. I can't think who the author would be though.

#96 - if you're really suffering withdrawal symptoms, Mastermind is still an active show here in the UK - you can probably find it online somewhere. From your description I think it is the same format.

I've never read any of the Dance books. Something else that needs rectifying! But agree that A month in the country is well worth adding to your TBR pile, any who have not read it.

And Mastermind (at least the UK version which does sound the same as what Cushla is recalling) is far better than Who Wants to be a... Not only the absence of glitz and the fact that it is not about winning prize money, but each contestant is quizzed on their specialist subject as well as general knowledge, so you get some fascinatingly obscure subjects being featured.

I am not catching up, Laura, just checking in. Hopefully, I can keep up with you from here on out :)

*waves to Stasia*
It's nice to see you here again!

#106: Thanks! It is nice to be seen again.

I posted my First Quarter Progress Report on my blog today. There you can see how I'm doing on my 2011 reading resolutions.

My top reads for the first quarter were:
- Pride and Prejudice: a re-read, worthy of all 5 stars again
- The Hills at Home: a Secret Santa gift from Lucy/sibyx
- One Fine Day
- The Colour

Laura, I'm glad you're doing well with your "Year of Reading Normally"--a very worthy "goal." I got a copy of The Hills at Home after reading your review and am looking forward to getting to it.

>108 lauralkeet: Laura, I enjoyed visiting your blog. I've toyed with the idea of starting one, but am something of a procrastinator and would probably never update it. And what's the point when there are so many good ones, like yours, out there?!?

I have heard great things about The Portrait of a Lady group read you organized, and have starred the threads so I can benefit from others' insights when I get around to reading it.

>109 phebj:: Thanks Pat. In previous years my reading was very, very planned and structured. I'm that way in most aspects of my life, but eventually I began to feel confined and frustrated by it. I'm enjoying my more "footloose" approach. And btw, Lucy deserves all the credit for promoting The Hills at Home !!

>110 katiekrug:: aw shucks. Thanks Katie !

18. A Dance to the Music of Time ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: It came strongly recommended by Peggy/LizzieD, after I discovered it on the list of bestsellers the week I was born. I'm eternally grateful to Peggy for the recommendation!

A Dance to the Music of Time follows a group of British men as they move from school to university to adulthood. The story begins in the 1920s when the narrator, Nick Jenkins, is at boarding school with his friends Stringham and Templer. Their school days are coming to an end; will they go up to university or go directly to work? As they contemplate their next phase of life, they also spend countless hours mocking other students -- especially a boy named Widmerpool -- and playing pranks on their house master.

The "first movement" of A Dance to the Music of Time consists of three novellas spanning just over a decade: A Question of Upbringing, A Buyer's Market, and The Acceptance World. Jenkins and his friends come of age, finding their adult footing and struggling with love and loss. Several other characters move in and out of their lives, like partners in a dance. A woman appears initially as one man's girlfriend, later as the wife of a second man, and still later as a third man's lover. Other characters have recurring roles in the dance, taking the floor every so often and then fading into the background. As Jenkins muses in the second book:

I certainly did not expect that scattered elements of Mrs. Andriadis's party would recur so comparatively soon in my life ... their commitment was sufficient to draw attention once again to that extraordinary process that causes certain figures to appear and reappear in the performance of one or another sequence of what I have already compared with a ritual dance.

The dance metaphor works very well in this book. The sequence and pacing reminded me of a ballroom filled with people gracefully stepping through a minuet. And while it is obvious that time is passing, precise measures of time are rarely mentioned, giving the book a languid, leisurely feel. Yet every so often Powell sums things up with powerful prose, like this paragraph towards the end of A Question of Upbringing:

I knew now that this parting was one of those final things that happen, recurrently, as time passes: until at last they may be recognised fairly easily as the close of a period. This was the last I should see of Stringham for a long time. The path had suddenly forked. With regret, I accepted the inevitability of circumstance. Human relationships flourish and decay, quickly and silently, so that those concerned scarcely know how brittle, or how inflexible, the ties that bind them have become. ... A new epoch was opening: in a sense this night was the final remnant of life at school.

A Dance to the Music of Time is very British, and very evocative of the period between the wars. Every time I sat down to read, I was instantly transported into that world, while simultaneously reflecting on the "dance" representing my life. While this "first movement" was more than 700 pages long, I never tired of it and was sad to say good-bye to characters who have inhabited my imagination for over a week. I will most definitely be reading the rest of this series.

Beatiful review, Laura! I am adding this one to my wish list.

5 stars from you is going to make this book pretty hard for me to resist. Great review, Laura.

I'm so happy that you love *Dance* as much as I do! I look forward to hearing you as you read more deeply into the lives of these fascinating people. Thank you for a great review!

I have A Dance to the Music of Time on my shelf (movement 1, that is) but it is just so large! I may have to give it attention sooner rather than later.

A Dance to the Music of Time has been in the BlackHole forever. One of these days I will get to it! Unfortunately my local library does not have the entire thing and I refuse to read it without all of the books in hand.

Thanks Katie & Pat!

Peggy, I know I should have just taken your word for it, but I was still surprised what an absorbing read it was. I was drawn to it, I thought about the characters when I wasn't reading, and I couldn't wait to escape into it. You previously made a comparison to The Raj Quartet, as regards both scope/scale and impact, and I couldn't agree more. Thanks again for the strong nudge to read *Dance*!

Anne, I was initially intimidated by its length as well. It helps that it's divided into 3 novels, and the page numbering begins again with each novel. That helped me feel some sense of accomplishment at "finishing" something.

Stasia, I completely understand. Mine was a library copy as well, and I checked first to see whether they had all 4 movements. Of course now I'm considering buying them ... :)

Yeah, I may have to break down and buy them eventually. Not this year though.

Lovely review, Laura. So are we left dangling at the end of the first movement, or is it possible to leave the characters where they are for a while if one can't get one's hands on the whole set at once?

I'm not sure I want to commit to a book of this size right now, Laura, but a 5-star rating from you puts it in the "think about" category. I also have the Raj Quartet on that crowded back burner!

Hmmm 5 stars from you Laura means off the charts for me and my library has it. Yay! Don't know exactly when but I see an increase in my available reading time coming soon ;-)

Excellent review.

Once again Laura, I am thrilled that you love one of the core books of my reading life!

Oooh, more visitors! Thanks Linda, Donna, Bonnie, and Lucy.
>120 laytonwoman3rd:: are we left dangling at the end of the first movement ...?
Well, each individual book in the movement leaves a door open for the next. Rather than feeling like I had to rush into the next one, I was left with a pleasant sense of anticipation.

Your latest read reminds me a little of Proust's series of books. The characters are introduced in the beginning, and they keep changing and coming back later on in the series. We are currently about halfway through the series. Maybe when I'm finished with that I'll be ready to tackle this series! I've wishlisted it. Thanks for the review. :)

>125 BookAngel_a:: Angela, there are quotes on the book cover comparing it to Proust. This intrigued my husband, who read and loved A la Recherche ...; he was dismayed to find out I had to return the book to the library because others are waiting for it. He was threatening to buy a copy ... OK by me, I say! Buy 'em all !

Congratulations on your HOT review, Laura.

>127 laytonwoman3rd:: woo hoo! How exciting! Thanks Linda.

Great review of A Dance of Time Linda, and another book added to my overly long wishlist!

I'm currently reading my very first eBook, Iris Murdoch's Bruno's Dream, on my iPad. It's a bit of an experiment to see how I like e-reading. More thoughts on that in due course.

I had to adjust my April reading plans somewhat. About ten days ago I was #58 in line and thought it would be ages, then this week I was notified the book was ready! I can only guess the library system ordered loads more copies. The book is Unbroken, which I've heard such good things about here.

Great review of A Dance to the Music of Time. I have them on the chunkster pile to read this year. (once I'm finished with The Song of Ice and Fire series). I fully admit to buying the books just because I loved how the art work connected on the 4 book spines. I had no idea what the books were about. I just thought they were so pretty. Now, I'm anticipating good reading days in the future.

>131 VioletBramble:: Welcome Violet! I know just what you mean about the cover art. I didn't notice it at first, since I only had the first movement from my library. But I looked at the covers on LT and was mesmerized! Hope you enjoy Dance.

19. Bruno's Dream ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: I'm working my way through all of Murdoch's novels that were shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Iris Murdoch has a unique take on the human condition. Her books typically feature normal, everyday people making normal, everyday decisions -- but invariably some of those decisions turn out to be stupid ones, with consequences. Most of the time, the "stupid decisions" deal with sexuality or morality. In some ways, reading Murdoch is like watching a train wreck unfold before your eyes. And yet, her books fascinate me, every single time.

Bruno's Dream was Murdoch's twelfth novel, and her second shortlisted for The Booker Prize (in 1970). The title character is an elderly, bedridden man nearing the end of his life. He spends his days poring over his stamp collection, reading books about spiders, and waiting for daily rituals like tea, the newspaper, and champagne. Bruno lives with his son-in-law Danby (his daughter Gwen died several years earlier). Danby's household also includes Nigel, a nurse, and Adelaide, a maid. Bruno has been estranged from his son Miles, his only living relative, ever since they fell out over Miles' first wife, an Indian woman:

If only certain things had not been said. One says things hastily, without meaning them, without having thought, without understanding them even. One ought to be forgiven for those hasty things. It was so unfair to have been made to carry the moral burden of his careless talk, to carry it for years until it became a monstrous unwilled part of himself. He had not wanted Miles to marry an Indian girl. But how soon he would have forgotten his theories when confronted with a real girl. If only they had all ignored his remarks, if only they had made him meet Parvati, let him meet Parvati, instead of flying off and building up his offence into a permanent barrier. If they had only been gentle with him and reasoned with him instead of getting so highminded and angry. It all happened so quickly, and then he had been given his role and condemned for it. And Miles said he had said all those things he was sure he had never said. There were so many misunderstandings.

Now Miles is married to Diana, whom Bruno has never met. Diana's sister Lisa lives with Miles and Diana. Bruno expresses a wish to see his son again, and asks Danby to call on Miles and convince him to visit Bruno. Danby's visit sets in motion a series of everyday actions and decisions that tangle all the characters up in one another's lives. In this story, the king of stupid decisions is Danby, who lusts after anything in a skirt and feels compelled to act on his impulses. Miles isn't much better, and the two of them create fantastic situations ranging from poignant to irritating to funny. Also typical of Murdoch is the way most of the male characters are misguided and insensitive, and most of the women are rational and emotionally strong. In Bruno's Dream, the stronger women rise above everyone else to unravel the tangle caused mostly by Danby and Miles, and bring dignity to Bruno's last weeks.

Great review, Laura. The line that really hooked me was: In some ways, reading Murdoch is like watching a train wreck unfold before your eyes. Onto the WL it goes.

>134 phebj:: Thanks Pat!

20. Unbroken ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: It came highly recommended by many ...

In the late 1930s, Louie Zamperini was a young hell-raiser growing up in Torrance, California. He was also an aspiring Olympic runner, breaking records in nearly every race as he closed in on a 4-minute mile. But in 1941, like so many young American men, he joined the military to serve in World War II. As a member of the Army Air Corps, he was on board a bomber that crashed in the Pacific Ocean in May 1943. Louie and two crewmen survived. Unbroken is an amazing account of Louie's survival, both from the crash and over two years' imprisonment in a Japanese POW camp, and of his struggle to regain his dignity and re-enter "normal" American society.

Unbroken is a very personal story; since Zamperini is still alive, Laura Hillenbrand had direct access to him and to his scrapbooks and other memorabilia. Through Louie she learned a great deal about his beloved crew members and soldiers he met in the camps. She also learned about the man Zamperini came to fear most: a Japanese guard nicknamed "The Bird," whose brutality landed him 7th on the list of war criminals sought for trial after the war. The result is an emotional page-turner that sometimes made me smile, more often made my stomach churn, and occasionally brought tears to my eyes.

So why did I rate it only 3.5 stars? There was a tinge of American exceptionalism running through this book that bothered me. Early on, Hillenbrand described the Nanking Massacre, which laid groundwork for an "Americans are good, Japanese are bad" theme. Other more subtle cues appeared elsewhere in the text, as when one of Louie's crewmates describes a failed Japanese bombing as "inept." The last straw for me was near the end of the book after the Japanese surrender, as Hillenbrand summed up the war. Of Japan's role in the conflict she wrote, "In its rampage over the east, Japan had brought atrocity and death on a scale that staggers the imagination." She then went on to cite casualty figures that, frankly, were nowhere close to the casualties from the American bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And a few pages later, describing those horrific bombings, she quoted a serviceman who felt "the end probably justified the means." I'm telling you, it turned my stomach.

And yet, I would still recommend this book as a first-hand account of the realities of war. Just be forewarned.

Great review, Laura. I have this one on my shelves waiting to be read. I've always been repelled by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and never been able to accept the "end justified the means" rationale so I suspect I'd have a similar reaction to yours. I'm actually glad for the forewarning. I still plan to read the book but at least I won't be blindsided by this aspect of it.

136: Not a book I was aware of, but one I'm definitely interested in reading. And thanks for the warning.

>136 lauralkeet:: Laura, I admire your mixed review on Unbroken. I began to rethink my thoughts on the Japanese "villains" after seeing the footage of how the modern-day Japanese reacted to the recent earthquakes and tsunamis. American exceptionalism is a new term to me but one I will remember. Thank you for reminding us that there are two sides to every story.

The problem I had with Unbroken was more on the nature of singling out one man to tell his heroic story when I know there were thousands of stories that were just as compelling. Zamperini's Olympic career was interesting, but I would have enjoyed the book just as much if it had been based on an "unknown" soldier. Ah well, but then we wouldn't have had this bestselling book which did tell a powerful story about one small part of an enormous war.

I've seen lots of talk about Unbroken on here and am finally adding it to my wishlist properly. Thanks for the warning - am curious how much it'll grate on me when I get to it.

I picked up A Month in the Country today because of your comments in your 2nd thread and am enjoying it so far. It's nice and small - War and Peace is too heavy to cart to playgrounds!

My tbr list now contains A Month in the Country.

What a wonderful review of Unbroken. Thumbs up!

>138 qebo:-141: thank you so much for your comments on Unbroken!

Donna, yours are very thoughtful remarks. I think I had an awakening of sorts, living outside of the US for 4 years of my adult life. It made me look at my home country in a very different way, and question what I had been taught and the US-centric world view in which I was raised. It definitely affects how I respond to certain topics in books.

I also liked what you said about Unbroken singling out one man. The epilogue described a bit about what happened to some of the other men. I found the bit about Allen Phillips to be quite poignant. He piloted the plane that crashed, survived an equally harrowing ordeal, and went home to Indiana to lead a quiet life. He didn't receive nearly as much public recognition or honor, and that was a shame.

21. Palladian ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: This is one of my favorite authors, and I needed a fix.

This novel's description led me to expect a fairly conventional "young governess falls for lord of the manor" story. I should have known better. Elizabeth Taylor does not write conventional novels; she writes deep studies of characters and relationships. In Palladian, Cassandra Dashwood finds work as a governess after her father's death. Her employer is Marion Vanbrugh, a reclusive widower rambling about a big old house. Cassandra immediately takes responsibility for Marion's daughter Sophy, and tries to fit in with the family and their household help. So far, pretty conventional. But that's all just a set piece for a deeper storyline, centered on Marion's brother Tom.

Tom is the black sheep of the family. He's been through hard times, and has turned to alcohol to numb the pain. He is secretly carrying on with Mrs. Veal, who runs the local pub with her husband Gilbert. Tom spends entire days at the pub, drinking himself into a stupor. Completing the family tableau are Marion's snobbish cousin Margaret. who is constantly judging everyone else, and his aunt Tinty, who runs the household, and worries about Tom:

It was getting worse and worse. At first (but that was years ago), when he was bored and restless, he would go down for a pint and a chat, something to do; that soon became a habit which fitted easily into his life. Now, it was no longer a habit, it was his purpose, the centre of him, the thing that was real, and his life must fit in with that, or he could not answer for living. ... She knew that it was Tom's mind that mattered, and his life being so empty of purpose that drink could have taken possession of the centre of him. (p. 52)

The setting is just as important as the characters, and captured in such beautiful prose:

The sky looked swollen, as if it held some darker, heavier substance than rain, as if at a finger's pressure it would let down a stained syrup, like the blackberry juice dripping from the muslin net in the kitchen. (p. 124)

Taylor oh-so-gradually reveals the reasons for Tom's despair, and places the reader right in the middle, where we can feel his pain. When she later unveils a dramatic plot twist, it is simultaneously terrible, and yet essential, especially for Tom.

No, this is definitely not your traditional governess story.

Your review makes Palladian sound much more interesting than the the conventional governess story that I had in my mind too. I wonder why this one hasn't been re-published by Virago when so many of her others have?

I must get back to Taylor...soon.

Great review, Laura. I've never read anything by Elizabeth Taylor but this looks interesting.

22. Our Spoons Came from Woolworths ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: Several LTers, especially rebeccanyc and Soupdragon, recently read Comyns and I decided it was time for me to do so as well.

Sophia is young and naive when she falls for Charles, a painter. Believing love will see them through all sorts of troubles, they decide to marry even though neither has a reliable way to make a living. Charles keeps hoping his talents will be discovered, and Sophia earns a bit of money here and there as a model for other artists. They are desperately poor, and blissfully unaware of the need to "take precautions." Sophia soon becomes pregnant, and at this point Charles turns into a bit of an ass. He's not keen about having a child, but reluctantly agrees it might be okay if it were a girl. Of course it's a boy, and he only halfheartedly fulfills his parental responsibilities. Sophia is a bit slow to realize Charles is an ass, until she has an affair with a much older man. The affair runs its course, as affairs often do, and she must then take decisive action to change the course of her life.

This sounds like a fairly typical love story, and on one level, it is. But Sophia is a memorable, engaging and eternally optimistic narrator. Here's a typical excerpt:

That is the kind of stuff that appears in real people's books. I know this will never be a real book that business men in trains will read, the kind of business men that wear stiff hats with curly brims and little breathing holes let in the side. I wish I knew more about words. Also I wish so much I had learnt my lessons in school. I never did, and have found this such a disadvantage ever since. All the same, I am going on writing this book even if business men scorn it. (p. 54)

Sophia prattles on like this for over 220 pages, and she's just so much fun to "listen" to. Even when you know she's heading for trouble, you can't help but like her and hope for the best. This is an unusual novel, and the first Comyns I've read. I'll definitely be back for more.

Happy Easter to you!

Hi Laura, I see you've been cranking out the reviews and, naturally, adding to my teetering tower. The Elizabeth Taylor looks really interesting and I loved when you said that Taylor "doesn't write conventional novels."

I have Unbroken on my shelf (since Christmas actually) and will get to it at some point. I'm going to guess that, as part of Hillenbrand's research, she interviewed some serviceman (not many left, I would guess) who served in the Eastern Theater. I doubt that their opinions would illustrate anything but American exceptionalism and she may have over-stepped her bounds in making their opinions read like fact or in other ways, bashing the Japanese people. That's too bad since she has a terrific story to tell, that wouldn't need to include that kind of stuff. As usual, excellent review.

Good review, Laura. I've been seeing Barbara Comyns name on LT alot too. One of these days I'll actually read something by her.

Two great reviews! Spoons was my first Comyn as well. I've never read one that wasn't terrific.

I'm really pleased you enjoyed Our Spoons came from Woolworths, Laura. As you know, I'm a big fan of Comyns' "prattling"!

I've just noticed that the Virago website mentions they will be re-publishing "Barbara Comyns" next year. It doesn't state which one(s) but it followed an article about the Vet's Daughter.

>149 brenzi:: Bonnie, yes Hillenbrand had direct access to Louis Zamperini and other veterans. Plus, I'm sure, several indirect sources ... I've since returned the book to the library but I remember the acknowledgements being fairly extensive. I agree that those opinions would almost have to have that bias. I still recommend reading it. I had an interesting conversation about it with my mom who, at 75, was a child during WW II. She found it fascinating because it shed light on a time period she didn't understand well, due to her age at the time. So I think every reader will take something different away from this book.

>150 phebj:: Pat, if *Woolworths* is representative of Comyns' work, I think you'd enjoy her.

>151 sibylline:: Thanks Lucy! Good to know all of her books are good ... I think I have 4 or 5 more on my shelves.

>152 Soupdragon:: Dee, I have you to thank for nudging me to read her now. I'm definitely on the lookout for those new Viragos.

The Vet's Daughter is available as a New York Review Books book now, and my favorite (so far), Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead is available from a small publisher, Dorothy.

Thanks for the great review of Our Spoons Came From Woolworths. Before stopping here, I visited Rebecca's thread where I discovered her mention of this book.

I'm going to try to get a copy of this book -- and the one you recommended above Rebecca.

>154 rebeccanyc:: and many were previously published as Virago Modern Classics (Dee was referring to re-issues with modern cover designs). I have about 5, I think.

23. A Lost Lady ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: My husband gave me this book -- a first edition -- for Christmas.

Captain Daniel Forrester and his younger wife, Marian, live in a prairie town with tight connections to the Burlington railway. Mrs. Forrester maintains a distant relationship with most people, but her charm and good looks still have them eating out of her hand. Early in the story, Mrs. Forrester gives a group of schoolboys permission to play on her property, and she brings them food. One of the boys, Niel, develops a crush on her and Mrs. Forrester's story is then told largely through his eyes.

Niel is a studious young man, reading classics and working to overcome his humble origins. Captain Forrester, a self-made man, counsels Niel that he need only work hard to get what he deserves in life:

All our great west has been developed from such dreams; the homesteader's and the prospector's and the contractor's. We dreamed the railroads across the mountains, just as I dreamed my place on the Sweet Water. (p. 55)

As Niel matures he watches the Forresters, and pines for Mrs. Forrester who of course sees him as nothing more than a nice schoolboy. Niel's illusions are shattered when Mrs. Forrester shows her own human weaknesses. Unfortunately, I failed to develop an emotional connection to these characters. The novel was improved by Cather's beautiful descriptions of the landscape:

The sky was burning with the soft pink and silver of a cloudless summer dawn. The heavy, bowed grasses splashed him to the knees. All over the marsh, snow-on-the-mountain, globed with dew, made cool sheets of silver, and the swamp milk-week spread its flat, raspberry-coloured clusters. There was an almost religious purity about the fresh morning air, the tender sky, the grass and flowers with the sheen of early dew upon them. There was in all living things something limpid and joyous -- like the wet, morning call of the birds, flying up through the unstained atmosphere. (p. 84)

This was a decent novel, just not one of Cather's best.

(Note to self: Get to Comyns. Get to Comyns. Get to Comyns.)

How wonderful of your husband to get you a first edition of a Willa Cather novel. I love her descriptions of landscape. After reading My Antonia I told my husband I wanted to go to Nebraska. He told me I was nuts. He's been to Nebraska and certainly didn't see it the way Cather did.

>158 LizzieD:: yes, you really should. :)
>159 phebj:: LOL! I think I'll read My Antonia next, Pat. Hard to believe I've never read it, and it's one of several Cathers that I have in Virago editions. I remember my mom raving about it when she took a lit course years ago.

I've been half-heartedly trying to find Palladian but now must do a whole-hearted search for it. Glad you liked "Spoons"...I remember really enjoying it.

Sigh. Remember my review of Unbroken, up in message #136? It drew a few comments when it was published on my blog, most of which were respectful. One person seemed angry, tersely telling me I was "just wrong." I'm OK with that; everyone is entitled to their opinion. But this morning I had a new comment which was much more judgmental (click here to read the post and the comments). Again, this person is entitled to their opinion just as much as I am. But I didn't write my review to engage in political debate with anyone, I wrote it because I enjoy sharing thoughts about books.

This makes me thankful for the calibre of people here on LT. Diatribes are so rare here. Even when people disagree they do so politely, or they just keep quiet.

24. 13, rue Thérèse ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: I read an excellent review in Belletrista, written by LT member MaggieO, and rushed out to buy this book.

When author Elena Shapiro was a little girl, she was given a box of mementos that belonged to Louise Brunet, a woman in her apartment building. Louise had recently died, so Shapiro had no way to learn about the mementos or their owner. The contents of the box fascinated her and she turned them loose in her imagination. Years later she wrote a novel that tells Louise's story through the trinkets found in the box.

Louise grew up in wartime France; her father, brother and a cousin/boyfriend served at the front in World War I. She married Henri Brunet, a quiet and unassuming man who worked in her father's jewelry shop. Unable to have children, Louise became resentful and bored. She derived satisfaction from teaching piano to Garance, a very talented 15-year-old girl. And Louise had a mischievous side, combating boredom by gleefully making up outlandish, erotic stories to shock priests in the confessional. When a new family moved into her building at 13, rue Thérèse in Paris' 1st arrondissement, Louise was attracted t0 the husband Xavier, and envious of his happy marriage and children. Louise's story is an emotional one; she experienced loss not uncommon for that time period, but searingly painful nonetheless.

But there's another story wrapped around that of Louise. In the present day, American professor Trevor Stratton is working in Paris and finds a box of mementos (his secretary Josianne left it for him, but he doesn't know that). There are love letters from a young man, gloves, coins, photos, jewelry, and a handkerchief. As he pores through the box, his imagination runs away much as Shapiro's must have done. He begins constructing Louise's story, but it's often unclear when the story is true to the contents of the box, and when it reflects Trevor's imagination or even fantasy. What develops is a story within a story intertwining past and present in a most intriguing way. What really happened to Louise? What has Trevor made up, perhaps to satisfy his own longings? His findings are reported in letters to "Sir," who I presumed to be his superior, perhaps back at the American university. But he poured out his feelings so candidly and completely, I could not imagine such letters written in a professional context. When the relationships between Trevor, "Sir," and Josianne became somewhat clearer, the "story within a story" aspect of this novel turned out to be even more complex than I'd thought.

This book left me with lots of unanswered questions about Trevor and Louise which, like the box of mementos, are now left to run amok in my imagination.

Great review of 13, rue Therese Laura. I wishlisted this after Tina (tututhefirst) reviewed it and actually had it out of the library for a short time but didn't have the chance to get to it. I read the first few pages and liked it so I'll definitely get back to it.

I agree with your comment about the 75ers sharing their disagreements politely. Sometimes I'll see what's going on under Hot Topics and usually cannot make much progress in some of the religion threads because of the name calling. Very discouraging.

13, rue Therese sounds very good Laura and since this is the second or third good review I've read, onto the pile it goes.

As far as the nasty responder to your blog, I wonder if he ended up there from one of the political message boards that I mistakenly stumbled onto one time and couldn't get away from fast enough? There are some very vocal people out there who just want to say what they think, no holds barred. Very unfortunate.

It has come to be my theory that 75 has developed the way it has, due to the founders and present moderators (mostly the same people) making a history of being respectful and polite --- I've noticed that any new group, and even some threads (say if it involves a group read) needs alert and forceful moderation to keep conversation civil.

>162 lauralkeet:: What a shame that you had to deal with that type of poster on your blog. I agree with Bonnie that they sound like the type that I sometimes read on political forums which can get very agressive! It seems so intrusive to get that sort of response on your own personal reading blog. I absolutely agree with Tui's comment on your blog- well done, Tui! Laura- please don't let it put you off writing what you feel about a book!

>163 lauralkeet:: Great review of 13, rue Therese. It sounds fascinating.

Just read your blog comments, Laura. Not at all nice. I'd read the post back when you wrote it (and the book is already on my TBR list, but for when we're back near the library.) Tui, I loved your response. I hope it doesn't affect how much or what you post, because I really like reading your blog even though I don't comment often.

I have Our Spoons Came from Woolworths here and will try to read it soon.

Love your reviews, Laura! I wish my local library had any of your recent reads :) The only one they have at present is Unbroken, which I really want to read, WWII buff that I am.

Thanks Dee, Cushla & Stasia ! I really appreciate your kind words. After Tui and Linda posted their supportive blog comments, I really hoped the post would stay that way -- their remarks were a nice way to end the discussion. And then I remembered, hey, I own this blog and I can close comments on this post! A simple setting change ... et voila ! No further comments permitted. According to my blog stats this particular post is still getting the most hits so at least I'm keeping other wing nuts at bay.

And now for today's big news: squeeeee !!!!
My daughters (well actually my husband but the girls signed the card) gave me a kindle for Mother's Day !!!!!!

#170: I just put 'Congrats' on Lucy's thread about the new Kindle, but will post them here as well. I hope you enjoy it!

>170 lauralkeet: Yay for the Kindle! I wasn't sure about it but ended up getting one because I travel a lot and it seemed like it would be handy. And now I love it and use it fairly often, though I still seem to be collecting physical books at an alarming rate.

Congratulations Laura! Obviously a very astute husband and daughters for figuring out what you would love. ;-)

That's good news about the Kindle, Laura, but don't you have an iPad? I'm interested in knowing which one is your preferred method for e-book reading as I'm still trying to make up my mind. I'm glad you're having a Happy Mother's Day!

I think it's sad that people have to be so vindictive when they are guests on your blog! I'm glad you got some support from Tui and Linda...and then cut the nay-sayers off. Let them have their rants on their own blogs!

ETA: A Lost Lady is one of the few Cathers I haven't read. My Antonia is in my all-time Top Ten books.

Congratulations on getting a kindle! Very exciting (and I'm not at all envious) :-)

>172 katiekrug:: Katie, I don't think my book collecting will stop anytime soon, either!

>173 phebj:: Heather, I am excited! Although so far I only have freebies on my Kindle. I downloaded all of Jane Austen's novels today :)

>174 Donna828:: Donna, yes I have an iPad but I got it at work. I've read a couple of free books on it, mostly to decide if I liked the idea of an e-reader (answer: YES!). But I didn't want to buy any books for it because if I ever had to surrender it to the corporate gods, what would happen to my books?!

I ordered a pretty red cover for the Kindle today ... a girl's gotta accessorize!

Ah congratulations on the Kindle, Laura. Does this mean you'll be even harder to keep up with?

I think that iPad vs kindle depends on whether you want a device that does everything else as well as read, vs an e-reader. (also on whether you can tolerate backlighting...)

wonderful gift!!!

Incidentally, all the Powell books are available for Kindle, at what I seem to recall is a reasonable price. I've downloaded the first, but have yet to read it, although the comments above certainly will spur me on...

Going back to A Month in the Country for a sec; I adored the book, but only read it after seeing the film when it first came out -- sometime in the late 80s, I assume, as I vividly recall seeing it in the summer of 1988, when I was doing a summer internship at a paper in SW Ontario. I loved it. At that point, I'd recently seen Natasha Richardson on stage in London, playing opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Chekhov. But it was the first time I'd seen either Colin Firth or Kenneth Branagh, who have been among my fave actors since then. Both inhabited their roles so intensely... I see it's now available on DVD, so I'll be adding it to my collection very soon. I'd recommend BOTH film and book strongly -- I don't know how rarely I do that, but it's very rare indeed!

NB: Any Kindle books you buy you could still download from cyberspace "clouds". I suppose if Amazon goes bankrupt, there's another issue -- but technically we are buying the books from the publisher, so they would need to find a way to ensure ongoing access to them. Kindle apps are available for any device you might imagine, so you're not confined to reading a Kindle book on a Kindle.

>177 brenzi:: Bonnie, having more devices doesn't make you read any faster! It just gives me flexibility and - ahem - more reasons to buy books.

>178 Chatterbox:, 179: Suz, thanks for all the Kindle comments. AND: Firth and Branagh?! OMG! I had no idea! Why oh why doesn't Netflix have it?!

#180: You need more reasons to buy books?! LOL!

#178, 180 Unless I'm losing my mind (which is entirely possible), I saw that DVD of A Month in the Country a year or two ago, so someone must have lent it to me, since Netflix doesn't have it (or even know about it). It was excellent.

Congratulations on your new Kindle, Laura! I'll be curious to learn which e-book you'll purchase first.

>182 rebeccanyc:: Rebecca, I just found it on Amazon for $15.99 but I'd really rather rent or stream it.

And get this, the Amazon product description begins with:

Colin Firth (Mamma Mia, Bridget Jones's Diary) and Kenneth Branagh (Valkyrie, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) star as ...

NOOOOOO ! That's just so wrong. With all the fabulous films and plays those men have done, they couldn't come up with better credits than that ?! ARGH.

OK, must start work now. ttyl.

I'm running away with Colin Firth..He doesn't know it and nether does his wife, but still, one can dream!

I'm going to check to see if my library has a copy of the dvd of A Month in the Country. Thanks for your recommendation Laura.

>180 lauralkeet: Wow thanks for pointing out the obvious Laura. Apparently, the closer I get to retirement, the slower my brain works;-)

You can have Colin, Linda, as long as I can have Ken. (He and his wife don't know it either, but whatever...)

Laura, I suspect that's just to overcome the lack of knowledge about the film (which was a v. small film, tiny budget and no "names") based on a book that probably relatively few people read. I hadn't even known it was on DVD; I had stopped looking for it eons ago. Similarly, my fave Glenn Close film is also obscure and has only just become available, "Meeting Venus". About a "challenged" multinational production of Wagner's Tannhauser. Hilarious and moving, as I recall. ETA: That isn't on Netflix, either.

Linda will have to fight me for Colin. I used to like Ken a lot until his sorry treatment of Emma Thompson.

Congratulations on your new Kindle! :)

I just had a thought that would help me buy a Kindle -- lets say I've 'paid' for some book or other, read it, and then decide I really want it in hardcover or paper -- if the cyber moolah I'd spent already went at least towards the hardcover and maybe even covered the pbk, THEN I would leap. That is one of the things that just bothers me to pieces about it, that I might end up wanting and having to buy the darned thing twice.

That and pagination.

25. The Invisible Bridge ()
Reviewed on LibraryThing & on my blog
Why I read this now: It made the 2011 Orange Prize longlist, and I won my copy in an Orange January giveaway.

In 1937, Andras Lévi travels from his home in Budapest to Paris to study architecture at the École Spéciale. He faces a variety of challenges adjusting to the new country and making ends meet, but manages to find a part-time job, make friends of fellow students, and most importantly, fall in love with Klara, an older woman with a secret past. But their happiness is overshadowed by the growing threat of Nazi Germany, especially since Andras and Klara are both Jewish. A series of events take Andras and Klara back to Hungary, where Andras is pressed into service not as a soldier, but as a member of a labor corps responsible for digging ditches, felling trees, loading boxcars, and so on.

The first half of The Invisible Bridge takes place primarily in Paris, and serves to develop a rich cast of characters in a setting that is idyllic compared to what they have in store. Andras is established as a promising young architect; his brother Tibor, a physician. The brothers meet their future wives, and forge strong bonds with a group of peers. And then suddenly, new laws affecting Jewish immigrants change everything, and their close-knit group is scattered. The second half of the book covers the war years in harrowing detail, and it was interesting to read about World War II from a Hungarian perspective. Hungary was part of the Axis powers allied with Germany and Italy, but this was somewhat by force. Many of the characters in this book secretly hoped for Germany's downfall. Life was one struggle after another: labor servicemen were subjected to extremely poor conditions as well as physical and emotional abuse. It wasn't any easier for those left at home, as they faced food shortages and government corruption. And communication channels were poor, so people often didn't know how their loved ones were faring while they were apart.

The Invisible Bridge is a well-paced story of love and hardship, but it's also a long book (nearly 600 pages), and I lost concentration in the last 100 pages. Some aspects felt repetitive: Andras leaves for labor service, returns home, and is called up again. And then he comes home. And then he is called back. And ... well, you get the idea. Each time there were new plot developments both in his life and in the war, but I still tired of it. And yet, there was a lot of excitement in this story, as well as emotion, and I will not soon forget Andras, his family, and the hardships they had to overcome.

Lucy, I admit I've done precisely that....

Laura, I shared your thoughts on this, but think I still liked it more than you did. It reminded me of some of the "saga" books I used to find & read 30/35 years ago, the kind they don't write much any more. Thought it was great for what it was, and didn't pretend to be more (despite all the hype around it.)

Just catching up from 167 on...a bit behind here! I will be very interested to hear your kindle perspective, Laura...I think I'd like one but when I look at the 200 or so unread books sitting here, I can't justify it. Besides, it's gardening season and that's a costly endeavour!

Thanks for the kind words about the support I gave on Laura's blog. I abhor unfairness and unkindness.

>193 tiffin: when I look at the 200 or so unread books sitting here, I can't justify it My thoughts exactly except I actually have about 274 unread books staring at me and a husband who says drivel such as Don't buy or get books from the library until you read the books you have. Hahaha.

Well I appreciate your critique of The Invisible Bridge and agree with you on some points especially the repetitive call-ups for Andras but I think she probably based that on some kind of fact, i.e. there probably were multiple call-ups so I accepted it on that basis. I guess this is one that I just liked better than you, as happens occasionally :)

>193 tiffin:: Hi Tui! Nice to see you here again.

>194 brenzi:: yeah Bonnie, you're probably right about its accuracy.

>192 Chatterbox:, 194: Bonnie, Suz, I think my experience also suffered from having read Unbroken not very long ago. Two very different books, but both chunksters dealing with harrowing experiences in WW II. I think I need a break from war novels for a bit. My current book is about The Plague, so that ought to cheer things up, LOL.

Nice review of The Invisible Bridge, Laura, which I will get to . . .eventually!

Thanks Stasia ! I understand that "eventually" thing for sure.

Laura, I liked The Invisible Bridge more than you did, too, but I love the way you can always pinpoint a book's shortcomings in a positive manner. A day-late thumb from me. Good luck with the plague book. ***Spoiler***I think a lot of people get sick and die. ;-)

>195 lauralkeet: My current book is about The Plague, so that ought to cheer things up, LOL. Oh goody Laura; it's not by any chance Geraldine Brooks'Year of Wonders is it??

Good review of The Invisible Bridge, Laura. I think I'll pass on it, though.

>199 brenzi:: yes it is Bonnie ! Enjoying it so far ... but then only one person has died. Too bad Donna just ruined it all for me, LOL !

Reading, smiling, sipping latte.

Thumbed your review of The Invisible Bridge when I first saw it but it looks like I forgot to come back and tell you I liked it. I got up to about page 37 in this book and then put it aside. I lent it to my MIL recently and her assessment was it was a good but not great book. I'll probably give it another try at some point but at the moment there are so many other books I want to read it'll probably be a while.

>201 lauralkeet: Now that I know that, mum's the word.

I plan to start a new thread with my next book review, but meanwhile I will answer a question Darryl posed back in #183:
I bought my first Kindle book today! Inspired by Cushla's excellent review (here), I bought The God Delusion.

I'm still working out what I buy vs. request from PBS vs. borrow from the library. In this case there were no copies on PBS and I thought this might be the sort of book I'd read in segments as the mood strikes, so a library loan wouldn't work well.

Congrats on buying your first Kindle book, Laura! I hope you enjoy it!

Wait for me! Wait for me!! How did I get so far behind???
I have congratulated you on the Kindle and hope you're enjoying it. I'm still reading *Invisible Bridge* on mine and enjoying it for what it is.
I also enjoyed Year of Wonders which I won't spoil any more than it's already been spoiled. I'll be interested to see what you think when you've finished.

Eeeeeeeeek, I hope you like The God Delusion (or at least find it thought-provoking and not in a throw-it-across-the-room way.)

I haven't read Year of Wonders yet, but quite liked her People of the Book and her autobiography, whose name has gone out of my head.

>207 LizzieD:: Peggy, you probably fell behind because you were off reading ! But don't sweat it, it's pretty easy to pick up this thread mid-stream.

>208 cushlareads:: Cushla, I'm fairly confident I will like The God Delusion. It's my theological cup of tea. When the newly-added book appeared in Facebook, one of my friends there commented, "Excellent book, the third in my atheist trilogy" which made me laugh.

What were her other 2? The Sam Harris book? Inquiring minds need to know!!

>210 cushlareads:: Well Cushla, one was Jesus, Interrupted. The other he said was Christians Love Bush which I can't find so that may have just been his sardonic wit.

Thanks Laura - another book onto the wishlist!

Laura, just wanted to let you know that the message you left on my thread was corrupted by a spam banner, so I asked people to flag it - nothing to do with your comment! Not sure if you removing the post would get rid of the spam?? Do you mind trying? Thanks.

>213 JanetinLondon:: Done, Janet. Thanks for letting me know about the mishap.

And now, for my next book review please visit my new thread !